Growing Sweet Potatoes in Containers

November 2022

Grow sweet potatoes in containers and harvest them fresh.

Sweet potato is a highly nutritious root vegetable that has many health advantages. Sweet potatoes are rich in Vitamin B, Vitamin C, and Calcium. Growing sweet potatoes in containers is effortless. Here's everything you need to know about growing sweet potatoes in containers.

How to Plant Sweet Potatoes in Pots?

Sweet potatoes are warm-weather crops. They prefer a temperature of 24-35°C in the growing season.

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1. Container

It's best to start the plant in a deep container because it's a root vegetable. You can use grow bags. A 14-16 inches pot can do the job.

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2. Location

Choose a bright and sunny location for the best growth. It needs to be somewhere where the sun shines directly onto the plant for at least two to four hours each day.

3. Soil

Choose good quality loamy soil and add lots of organic matter to it. Sweet potatoes prefer acidic soil with a pH range of 5.5-6.6.

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4. Watering

Water the plants every two to four days. Don't let the soil become completely saturated as the tubers can get damaged. Also, do not let the soil go completely dry.

5. Fertilizing

5-10-10 or 8-24-24 blend of NPK once every 5-7 weeks to boost the growth and size of sweet potatoes.

Buy organic fertilizers

6. Mulching

Mulching helps the soil retain moisture longer, which allows plants to produce bigger tubers. You can use plant straws, old leaves, or black plastic bags as mulch.

7. Pests and Diseases

Several types of pests can cause damage to sweet potatoes. Stem Borer and white grub are some of them. To get rid of any pests, use a Neem Oil Solution or Insecticidal soaps.

Close spacing between plants, overwatering, and moist foliage cause diseases including Alternaria leaf spots, scab, and bacterial wilt. Take care to not make these mistakes.

8. Harvesting Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes take 3-4 months to reach the harvesting stage depending on the variety. The leaves turning yellow is a sign that your sweet potatoes are ready to harvest.

Be careful when harvesting sweet potatoes; their thin skins can easily bruise or damage. Use a hand spade or shovel to take out sweet potatoes.